Madonna in tears on stage as she dedicates song to her son Rocco amid custody battle

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Madonna became visibly upset on stage after dedicating a song to her son Rocco during a concert in New Zealand.

The Rebel Heart singer spoke about her son days after a judge urged her and her ex-husband Guy Ritchie to reach a custody agreement over Rocco, 15, as soon as possible for their child's sake.

Video footage captured by an audience member shows Madonna telling the audience at her performance in Aukland: “That is my son who I mentioned earlier. He is actually 15, and it's true, there is no love stronger than a mother for her son.” Her voice began to waver as she added: “And if I talk about him too much, I might cry.”

She then dedicated her song “La Vie en Rose” to Rocco, saying: “But I would like to dedicate this song to him. It’s a love song for a man, but I know he’ll be one, one day.

“I hope he heard this somewhere and knows how much I miss him.”

Madonna and Ritchie went to court to settle the custody dispute after Rocco went to London in December to stay with his father and Madonna launched action for his return to New York. Rocco is still in London and has enrolled in a school there.

“No one is disrupting his household other than the inability of the parents to reach a resolution,” Ritchie and Madonna were told during the court hearing last week. “If they cannot resolve this matter then eventually the court will.”

In January, Madonna left fans concerned by tearfully telling a concert in Mexico city that she was going through “challenging times”.